Twin Saints

Prologue

Mission 3

Reuniting

Twilight sighed boredly, drumming her fingers on the desk she sat at with a book open in front of her. “I’ve read this one…” she muttered to herself. Sitting up, she glanced around, irritation crossing her face. “Where the heck did Lock go!?”

Almost as soon as she said that, the sound of a motorcycle engine filled her ears, cutting off as it seemed to slow down. Not even a minute later, a woman stepped through the door, pausing as she looked to the still-broken glass.

“What happened?” she asked, looking around before she spotted Twilight and walked over.

“Hello,” Twilight greeted pleasantly. “How can I help you?”

“Cut the act, bookworm,” the woman spat, glaring at her. “Lauchlan told me about you, where is he?”

Twilight sighed, rolling her eyes. “I’m being nice because that’s how I have to work. You must be Lock’s sister.” Pausing, Twilight stood, stepping out of the desk’s booth. “I don’t actually know where he is, but it’s nice to meet you. I’m Twilight.”

“I know,” Load replied. “Name’s Loa-” She cut herself off as the sound of another engine filled the air, cutting off before Lock stepped through the door.

“Hey Twilight, I got myself-” he started before spotting Load, a wide grin splitting his face. “Lora! Ya made it!”

“Lock,” ‘Lora’ groaned, turning to her brother with a smile. “I’ve already told you a thousand times to call me Load!”

“Right, right,” Lock chuckled, waving her off as he moved closer to them. “Sorry. Just got excited.”

“Lock…” Twilight muttered, watching as the siblings embraced each other happily. “And Load… really?”

“That’s right!” Lock cried suddenly, pulling his gun and posing.

“The infamous duo!” Load chimed, pulling her own gun and standing back-to-back with Lock. “Lock n’ Load!”

Twilight stood silent for a moment before bringing her hand to her forehead with a resounding *smack*. “I am surrounded by idiots…”

“Pfft, whatever,” Load chuckled. “At least we have fun.”

“I can have fun!” Twilight shrieked. “Just this morning I helped to dump a body!”

“Meh, okay,” Load shrugged. “I’ll give ya that. So, Lock,” she continued, turning to her brother with a grin. “Where were you?”

“I took it upon myself to upgrade my cruiser!” Lock bragged, sweeping his arm out towards the doors. “Come, fair ladies, and I shall introduce thee to mine new chariot!”

“Oh shut up ya dork!” Load chuckled, shaking her head as she strolled out. Twilight shrugged and followed after her, blinking in shock at the sight.

Parked on the street before them was what seemed to be a brand new Venom Classic, it’s body painted a deep royal purple.

“Nice find!” Load praised, nodding approvingly. “Where’d ya get it?”

“Saw someone drivin’ it down the street,” Lock shrugged. “Got the guy in the head and dumped his body in some kid’s treehouse. Went for a drive and left the license plates in the nearby woods, I’m gonna go get some replacements later.”

Twilight stared at the car for a moment before sighing. “I’m just gonna try and get used to it and not question your actions anymore.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Load chuckled. “But… I dunno, I don’t like having our rides just sat outside the library. You got a garage or something Sparky?”

Twilight froze, her eye twitching slightly before she took a deep breath. “I think there was one around back. You’d have to drive around the block.”

“Not a problem,” Lock shrugged, running at his car. Leaping at it, he twisted his body, flying feet-first into the driver’s-side seat. “Oh god, I didn’t know if that would work!”

“Wha-” Twilight spluttered, eyes wide in disbelief. “How!?”

Load shrugged. “Dunno Sparky,” she said, sprinting at her stolen bike and launching herself into the seat. “I did it when I grabbed this baby. No idea how.”

Twilight’s mouth worked for a time, but no words came out. Eventually she just groaned in defeat, turning and heading into the library again. “Whatever, I’m going to take a look at this garage. Meet me out back.”

Lock and Load nodded in response before speeding away, the roars of their engines piercing the air. Twilight rolled her eyes, moving through the library until she reached a door in the back. Opening that, Twilight noted the stairwell leading to the supposed basement before stepping through a second door, coming out in what looked to be a large parking lot, with a two-door garage just to her left.

Moving to the garage, she pulled her keys from her pocket, chuckling when she saw a tiny remote hanging from them. “How’d I miss that?” she asked herself, pushing the button and watching as both doors slowly slid open. “Huh, neat.”

Lock and Load pulled up behind her, and Load hopped off the bike, walking up to Twilight’s side. “Wow,” she muttered, nodding approvingly. “Nice find here Sparky, real nice.” The two women stepped aside as Lock drove his car into the garage, stepping out a second later.

“Uh, guys,” he said unsurely as he walked over to them. “There, um… there’s an elevator in the garage.”

“There’s a what?” Twilight and Load cried in unison, rushing into the garage where, sure enough, they saw that Lock’s car was on what looked like a regular floor, but the rectangular outline separating the space from the rest of the floor.

“How peculiar…” Twilight muttered, kneeling down to examine the mechanism. “It seems that the whole floor would descend with the vehicle. Whoever built this was likely a mechanical genius.”

“Or had too much time,” Load shrugged. “Either way, who wants to see where it goes?”

“I’m in!” Lock chuckled.

“I must say, I am curious,” Twilight muttered. “Why not?”

“All aboard!” Load cried as Lock hopped back into the car, Twilight rushing to the passenger door. The female twin jumped onto the hood, looking around the garage before spotting a remote in a small dish fastened to the wall. Running over, she examined the many buttons before leaning on the hood again and pushing one. “Going down!”

All three watched in silent awe as the floor beneath them slowly lowered, bright orange lights illuminating the passage down. Passing one floor after another, they marvelled at the size of what seemed to be an entire underground compound, though their spirits were dashed as each floor they came to was blocked off, either from the doors refusing to open or from rubble.

Eventually, the elevator ground to a halt, large hangar-like doors sliding open to reveal what appeared to be a gigantic garage, complete with mechanic’s equipment and what looked to be a huge fuel tanker in the back.

“Wow…” Lock breathed, slowly driving his car in after Load had stood up. “How the hell…”

“All this…” Twilight muttered, eyes wide. “Was under the library?”

“Wonder how long it’s been here,” Load mused. “Gear looks fairly new.”

“How many cars could we get down here!?” Lock cried as Twilight stepped out before moving to park off to the side. The purple-skinned woman looked around, muttering quietly to herself until Lock walked over to them.

“I’d say roughly thirty average-sized cars and twenty motorcycles in this room, or twenty large cars, ten average and five motorcycles.”

“How’d you figure that?” Load asked. Twilight just shrugged.

“I’m good with numbers.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lock said dismissively as he turned to the elevators again. “Let’s head back up and get the other car and the bike down here.”

“Wait, what?” Twilight cried, quickly following after him. “Why is my car coming down here too!?”

“Do you want it to get stolen?” Load asked sarcastically. “‘Cause if ya do, we’ll leave it there.”

Twilight sighed. “Fine…” she muttered. “But I’m driving it!”

“Fine by me,” Lock shrugged. “I’m heading inside anyway. You two can handle this.”

One hour later, Twilight and Load walked up the stairs from the library’s basement, the purple woman blinking in bafflement. “I can’t believe there’s a secret door in my basement…” she muttered.

“Honestly?” Load said, shrugging. “After what’s happened to me, that’s not the weirdest thing in the world.”

“Sparks, Load?” Lock called from the apartment, his voice carrying a tone of unsurity down the stairwell. “You may wanna see this!”

Twilight glanced at Load, who slowly reached for her gun inside her jacket, pulling a second one out and handing it to the purple woman. Twilight swallowed nervously and steeled herself, following Load up the stairs and through the apartment door, where they saw Lock pointing his own gun at a tall, distinctly female figure.

The woman wore a tight, black latex corset with deep purple lacing, black leather pants and a pair of black, leather, thigh-high heeled boots, the soles of which were purple. A gold chain hung around her neck, with a fleur-de-lis hanging from it and resting upon her ample bosom. Long, flowing pink hair cascaded down her back as she smiled sweetly at them all.

“Now now,” the woman tutted playfully. “Is that any way to treat the one who gave you freedom? My name is Patty, and I believe you two are Lock and Load, correct?” she asked, gesturing to each twin as she named them before turning to Twilight. “Ah, and I do believe you are Miss Twilight Velvet Sparkle, correct?”

Lock pulled back the hammer on his revolver. “Who are you?” he demanded, holding his free hand up as Patty raised her brow. “Yeah, you told us your name. But who are you?”

Patty chuckled, shaking her head. “I’m an interdimensional cross-species of a vampire, a succubus, and a witch who found you two running from the police and gave you a chance to use your skills for the greater good,” she replies easily, smirking at them. “Problem?”

The twins were silent for a moment before shrugging, dropping their guns. “Nah,” they replied in unison as Load reached over and took her second gun back from Twilight.

“What’re you doing here though?” Load asked, tucking the second gun into her jacket, ignoring Twilight’s flustered arguments.

“Oh, I came to introduce you to the fabulous world of the Displaced!” Patty cried, holding her hand out. Electricity arced between her fingers before growing into a ball in her palm, clearing in the centre to show a woman with large purple draconic wings breathing a plume of fire. The image then shifted to a short, stocky skeleton in a blue hoodie, then a bearded man with an omnitrix on his wrist stood in a swirling blizzard, then a tall man in a red duster with spiky blonde hair, then a black-skinned woman in armour with glowing yellow eyes.

“Okay, I think we get it,” Lock muttered, rubbing his eyes. “So you… what? Kidnapped those people?”

“Me?” Patty asked in shock. “Oh, heavens no. Only two of those Displaced were mine, and I took them away from lives that they had no reason to live anymore.”

“Fair enough,” Load allowed, shrugging again. “So, whaddya want with us?”

“Oh, I just thought I’d see if you two wanted to meet some of these Displaced,” Patty replied casually, inspecting her nails. “All you’d have to do is make a Token.”

“A what?” Lock asked, scratching his head in confusion. “You mean like a badge or somethin’?”

“Kind of,” Patty shrugged. “It’s more like the symbol or item you’ll be known by, kinda like your gang sign.” She smirked, tapping her pendant. “By the way, huge Saints fan.”

“Thanks,” the twins chuckled simultaneously. Lock paused after a second, frowning in thought before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone.

“Yo, interdimensional space lady,” he called, making Patty chuckle.

“Patty, Lock. My name is Patty.”

“Right, Patty,” he continued, holding his phone up. “Could I use this and just have them call me?”

Patty shrugged. “I don’t see why not,” she allowed, taking the phone and surrounding it in a ball of pink lightning. Splitting the ball in two, she dismissed the lightning, a perfect copy of Lock’s phone in now in one hand with the original in the other, which she tossed back to him. “There you go, one Token Phone.”

Nodding in thanks, Lock tucked his phone into his pocket before taking the copy and tapping at the screen. He smirked as he altered the settings, changing the background into a glowing purple Saints fleur-de-lis. “There we go,” he said, flipping the phone in his hands. “Should be sorted. Even set up a text thing to ping up whenever it’s opened.”

“Nice going bro,” Load praised, smirking. “I think we’ll share a token too, if that’s alright.”

Lock shrugged. “No arguments here.”

“Then it’s settled!” Patty cried. “Hand me the token and I’ll send it out through the Multiverse.” Pausing as Lock did just that, Patty smirked, sauntering past them all. A large, black-stone door appeared before her, steam rising from it’s surface as it swung open, revealing a swirling expanse of space that seemed to contain both nothing and everything at once. “I’ll be seeing you two around!” she cried over her shoulder. “Oh, and you might wanna wake Twilight up.”

Lock and Load looked back to see Twilight sprawled across the floor, twitching slightly with what looked to be fear. When they looked up again, Patty and her door were gone.

“Well,” Load muttered as Lock stooped down, picking Twilight up bridal-style. “That was definitely something.”

“Yep,” he brother agreed as he carried Twilight to her bed. “Most definitely a thing that happened.”